Hangboard Training Load Calculator

How hangboard training load works:

Hangboard (fingerboard) training is the most effective way to build finger strength for rock climbing. The training load, meaning the total weight your fingers support, is your bodyweight plus any added weight, or minus any assisted weight if you are using a pulley system.

Training load formula:

Load (kg) = Bodyweight + Added weight − Assisted weight

Why load matters:

Finger tendons adapt slowly. Training at the correct load, challenging but not injurious, is critical. Most protocols recommend:

• Beginners: Use a pulley system to reduce load by 10–20% of bodyweight
• Intermediate: Bodyweight hangs on 20mm edges
• Advanced: Add 5–25% of bodyweight using a weight belt or vest

Maximal Hangs Protocol (most researched):

Sets of 10 seconds on, 3 minutes rest × 6 sets per grip position. Work at 80–90% of your maximum load (the weight where you could barely hold 12 seconds).

Repeater Protocol:

7 seconds on, 3 seconds off × 6 reps = 1 set. Rest 3 minutes between sets. Use 60–70% of max load.

The number you enter has to be your MAXIMUM, not your comfortable load. Both protocols above are written as a percentage of maximum, so if you feed in what you already train at, every target comes back too light and you never progress. Find the max first: warm up properly, then add weight until you reach the load you could just barely hold for about 12 seconds. That figure is what belongs in the boxes below.

Worked example:

Climber weighing 75 kg. On a 20mm edge their maximum is a hang with a 10 kg counterweight assist, so their max load is 75 − 10 = 65 kg, which is 87% of bodyweight.

• Max hangs at 80% of max: 0.80 × 65 = 52 kg. That is 23 kg below bodyweight, so they hang with 23 kg of counterweight.
• Max hangs at 90%: 0.90 × 65 = 58.5 kg, or 16.5 kg of counterweight.
• Repeaters at 65%: 0.65 × 65 = 42.3 kg, or 32.7 kg of counterweight.

Notice that all three prescriptions are lighter than this climber’s bodyweight. A climber who cannot yet hang their own weight on a 20mm edge should be on a pulley for every set, not gritting through unassisted hangs. That is the single most common mistake on a hangboard and the fastest route to an A2 pulley injury.

Common edge sizes and what they train:

• 20mm: standard intermediate training edge
• 18mm: advanced, recruits more crimp strength
• 14mm: elite level, high injury risk

Injury prevention:

• Never train hangboard more than 3 days per week
• Warm up thoroughly: at least 10 minutes of easy climbing or wrist circles
• Avoid full crimp on hangboards: half crimp is safer for tendons
• Stop immediately if you feel sharp pulley pain (A2 strain risk)